


Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

by Whistle_Mist



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bad Parenting, Bruce is a good dad, Gen, Janet Drake is a bad mother, Past Abuse, Sad with happy ending, Withdrawal, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 09:11:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18206474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whistle_Mist/pseuds/Whistle_Mist
Summary: “How many pills is he on?”  Bruce asked his eyes slightly widened. At first, he thought that he must have misunderstood.  Surely that wasn't the correct number of medication that when Tim Drake was on. of course this was quickly thrown out the window when Bruce realizes that he didn't miss what she said but rather was stunned at the answer. “Can you repeat that please?”





	Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SleepwalkingTimDrake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepwalkingTimDrake/gifts).



> I was so drunk when I wrote this I don't even remember writing it

“How many pills is he on?” Bruce asked his eyes slightly widened. At first, he thought that he must have misunderstood. Surely that wasn't the correct number of medication that when Tim Drake was on. of course this was quickly thrown out the window when Bruce realizes that he didn't miss what she said but rather was stunned at the answer. “Can you repeat that please?”

“Tim’s on 34 different medications. I said a list for you to look over and the times that he has to take it and which ones to give him with or without food. there's also a list of personal doctors and Physicians that you can contact in case anything happens.” the nurse had said as she nodded before turning around and grabbing a small cart pushing it towards Bruce. On the cart plenty of pill bottles each with the same name on it Tim Drake. “ I can't tell you how grateful we were when we heard that you were going to take the boy in. It's such a shame that his parents died in that terrible accident beds. you know his mother loved him very much. She was always making sure that he was on his medications and to his doctors in time. She was a very loving mother and rarely left his side.” 

“I see... Thank you. I'll take care of it from here.” Bruce nodded as he shook each of their hands as they left you took a glance back at the cart full of medications. Picking them up one by one he looked over them to read their names how many milligrams and how many dosage appeals he had to give the boy each day. all of this seemed like a lot. Something didn't sit right in his stomach. Leading them over one more time you set them back on the tray. “ Alfred. Do me a favor and call dr. Tompkins.” 

\--

“The kid’s like a zombie.” 

Those were the first words out of Leslie's mouth as she got done with the examination. She had checked over his height and his weight Ed Sheeran over his blood pressure and his eyesight. The only thing that? she really got from this exam was noticing his glazed look at this the boy was no longer there. Dark circles were under his eyes he was pale and the poor thing looks like he hadn't seen a day of sunlight in all his life. The bones hadn't thrown to their full strength. The kid was going to be short forever and probably all his life thanks to the lack of nutrition and the gross tons from the medications and the treatments and he'll the kid even went through chemo for no reason.

“There isn't one oz of information that I can find to even suggest that this child has any of the conditions that Janet Drake has claimed he's had.” she shook her head looking angrily back at the boy. That wasn't directed at him and it was more so at the thought of a mother doing this to her child she was seething wishing that the woman was alive just so she could punch you in the face. .” I've never seen this in my life before Bruce. I've heard cases and studied it while I was in my school years. Have you ever heard of Munchausen Syndrome?”

“Munchausen Syndrome?”

“It’s a rare form of child abuse,” She sighed shaking her head placing her hand on the bridge of her nose looking like she was trying to keep from killing someone. “We're a caretaker or in this case, the mother of the child takes them to doctors Physicians hospitals and other such clinics claiming that their child says that can help. She could have paid them all considering all the nurses and doctors icing for paid professional private doctors. from what I can tell all of them seem to just agree with Janet on every case of illnesses that she's presented to them there was unnecessary surgeries performed and the kid he's missing his appendix and his gallbladder according to the medical reports both of which were plenty healthy and Would Do no harm it seems to me that Jen and Drake had an agenda of her own which included harming her own son to gain satisfaction from hearing Praises from those around her that she was a selfless and caring mother. what I'm saying is that she took care of her sick child that she basically poison with all this medication and all the therapy and fake doctor's appointments and unnecessary surgeries and everyone saw her as the greatest person in the world giving her satisfaction.”

“Is there a way we can reverse this? Anything I can do for him?” Bruce walked over to the table and he sat down next to him pulling him up and onto his lap looking at the boy trying to find some signs of life or even a lingering glimmer in the blue eyes. “ What can I do to help him, Leslie? There has to be something.”

“We're going to have to wean them off all this medication. If we take him off cold turkey it will just cause a backlash that might end his life paid to be honest with you bruised I don't even know how Tim is still alive.”

“How long will it take to get him off this crap?”

 

“Months probably. There is no way we can possibly know how long it will take to wean him off all of this these are high dosage medication but I warn you now Bruce... You'll have to be there for him. There is no way you can leave this child alone while he goes there such withdrawals even though we're doing it the right way it's still going to be painful and there will be a lot to deal with” she looked him in the eyes with a serious face that he had never seen before. “ can you do that?” 

“Yes.” 

\--

Started two weeks later. Tim was throwing up nearly every day despite the small amount of medications they had started lowering it seems that the backlash of having so many drugs in his system was causing him to feel nauseated as well as dizzy irritable and he constantly had to be helped to the restroom paid his body would sometimes Shake in his sleep.

Bruce had learned that if he wrapped him up enough almost like a swaddle then he wouldn't hurt himself. A couple of the thrashings from the withdrawals have left him with swollen hands bitten arms and he kicked a lot almost always hitting the headboard or the footboard causing bruising and swelling on his feet.

Sometimes when it was really bad Tim would just scream it was echoed all through the walls of the manor you can hear the frustration the pain, the fury, the fear of not understanding what was happening. going through withdrawals Tim was forced to go between his body going from burning hot to freezing cold. Sometimes they would have to force water down his throat just so he wouldn't throw up but very little yet in the stomach. The Bayou that would come up with burn and hurt as well as damages teeth. The water somehow helped it easier on the boy.

there was a rare day that Bruce Wayne would leave his side. This you child this kid from next door that he only knew as a sick child of the Drake family was now in his home. How could Bruce possibly turn him away once he was better? No, it was pretty clear the second that he had taken in the child that Tim Drake would soon be known as Tim Wayne.

“Let me go, please....!” 

“Alfred, the cold compress.” bruised ordered as he quickly wrapped a blanket around him trying to keep the boy from thrashing around. Earlier Tim had managed to get off the bed flailing screaming and trying to get on his feet. The more they reduce the medications the more he was worried about him. He doubted that the boy had even moved that much in years. the damage caused by Jent Drake's abuse had been extensive. if Tim Drake wasn't sick before I had issues before he certainly has them now. “ It's all right to Tim. it's just a fever. It's going to break. I promise you will be okay... do you know who I am?”

“Go away!” It came out like a wail. was he even aware that Bruce was here? Or was it all a hallucination to him? There was no way to tell of course. Still, he would keep an eye on him and make sure that he was well not much else to do but be there for him make sure the fever went down. To keep him safe. And that's what he was going to do as long as it took to get Tim Drake back to health. “ it's going to be alright son... I'm here.” 

\--

Everything hurt, the crying did help either. It seemed that as the world seemed to melt from dull, gray and bland to color. However, with the Pain that came with it was nearly unbearable. Everything he ate he threw up as well as anything he drank. It was hot and cold and hot and cold and he was always having chills and the chills felt like needles running up its body.

He hated it.

There is nothing in the world that he wanted more was a way for this to stop. Disturibed over with because he didn't know how anyone could live like this. Was he sick again? Was it because he wasn't taking any medication anymore?. Where were the nurses? Or where were the doctors? Why was there only one Doctor Who Came every few days? I was Bruce Wayne here? Why was he taking care of him? Or have you become so sick of that now he was hallucinating that his hero was in his room taking care of him?

or was this even his room? There are so many questions that Tim wanted to ask but instead, all he could do was either vomit cry Shake wonder and scream and shout and irritability of all the things that were happening to him at one time. the embarrassment of having accidents in the bed he could have died of Shame. Maybe it would have been better if he had died then this wouldn't have happened the humiliation of having his hero having to clean him up? It left him feeling disgusted. 

“All right Tim,” Bruce said as he took out a needle on a syringe. As much as you've hated using a needle on him for anything he did have to give him anti-nausea medication and since the boy can't keep anything down a shot was required. “ One little polka nuts over right?” 

“ It's okay... I'm used to it. I won't feel it anyway.” that was a lie. Tim could feel it now dead before when he was full of drugs he wouldn't feel the tiny little prick have a needle kid now each time it happened he was more aware of the little pain and pinched that came with it. “You don't have to take care of me. I can do it. Or I can have a nurse. or when my parents get back they can take care of me.” 

that's when it hit first. Tim had no idea that his parents were dead. How would he know? He h]was so drugged out of it out of his mind that the boy had no idea when he moved into this manner or how long ago. 

“We'll talk about it later beard, for now, you just let me take care of your right. Later we're going to try and eat some soup again all right?” Bruce gave him the shot gently rubbing his arm afterward trying to comfort him in any small way he could. “ Let's see how much you can keep down this time all right?” 

“You're not going to put a feeding tube in?” Tim asked although now he wondered how painful that would be now that he could feel anything. “ that's what my mom has done. Because I can't eat. I don't know how to eat right. I'm too sick.” 

“You’re not too sick,” Bruce Assured at the rough with the kid's hair. “ you're just going through something right now. It will be better soon. now I have a special surprise for you tomorrow.”

“What is it?”

“Tomorrow we're going to try and eat lunch in the garden.” 

“what if I get an allergic reaction?” Tim asked since the truly believe that he was going to go outside and die. “I could go into anaphylactic shock.” 

“I know you won't. Leslie did every test you could think of and you're not allergic to anything.” Bruce tried to sound reassuring since you don't want Tim to panic. “ it'll be fun. And if we're lucky he'll even get to eat a little bit of ice cream.” 

“Ahem.” Alfred said as he walked over bringing some hot water along with some towels .” I believe you meant to say frozen yogurt m master Bruce.”

“Ah, Of course, Alfred.” but when he looked at him he winked at him and no doubt ‘ I'll still get you that ice cream.”

\--

It was a picnic blanket simple nothing too luxurious yet to tell him it was a man of the most amazing blankets in the world if

The hell was that a slant which meant that Tim could lay down and watch the clouds go by eventually his eyes closed as he just soaked up the Sun. The ones from when it was more than any blankets he ever had. Just the one that seemed to seep into his very Soul relaxed him for the first time he was truly able to relax and just enjoy the sounds of nature did the Sun. the sound of the leaves barely wrestling with the wind. It was almost as if the wind was trying to comfort him as well as it's awfully blue around him caressing his cheeks his eyes and his head.

For a long, while he wasn't sure if he lingered between awake and asleep yet it was one of the most peaceful things in the world. Last time laid there he tried to think of something and yet nothing came to mind. It was almost as if he was one with the world for those brief moments in time. Nothing was going to ruin it.

Tim must have fallen asleep.

because when he woke up he was wrapped up gently in that picnic basket being held close by a firm body. looking up he could see Bruce Wayne was carrying him. Tim stared at him for a long time even though his eyes grew heavy his body ready to rest even though he had done nothing as well as the lingering one from the Sun he was able to smile for the first time and what might have been ever as he leaned into the man's chest eyes closing finally being able to sleep in peace.

Bruce knew that this was just a moment in time. A small break between the harsh withdrawals and the violent outbursts. But it would be over soon and when it was over for good he would be there for his new son to care and to love his new child. Because you swore on his life but nothing would ever come to harm of one Tim Wayne ever again.


End file.
